Lancia latest Italian carmaker to provoke online outrage by reviving Gamma as an electric SUV

Lancia has dropped the first set of images of its new Gamma, which has been brought back as an electric SUV that shares its platform with the Peugeot E-3008 and the Vauxhall Grandland.

The original Lancia Gamma was produced from 1976 to 1984 as four-door fastback berlina or a two-door coupé, and won a cult following with its clean, almost architecture-like design and innovative approach to engineering. Nonetheless, its sub-par reliability and overall lack of quality were key to killing the Lancia brand in the UK.

As Lancia seeks to re-establish itself as a premium brand, it has re-introduced the Gamma as an all-electric SUV. It shares its distinctive front end with the smaller Ypsilon supermini, which shares its platform with the Peugeot E-208 and the Vauxhall Corsa, and adopts a rakish rear end with a wrap-around lightbar similar to that on its sibling, the Peugeot E-3008.

Buyers of the 4.67 metre by 1.89m Lancia Gamma SUV won’t have to worry about this latest car experiencing the transverse engine troubles of its predecessor. This is because it comes with a choice of three electric powertrains.

There are two front-wheel-drive configurations of Gamma available, with either 227bhp or 242bhp. The smaller of the two can manage 335 miles on a single charge, while the latter long-range variant achieves up to 460 miles. An all-wheel-drive Lancia Gamma SUV is also available with 370bhp on tap, along with a quoted 420-mile range.

Given its visual similarities to the Peugeot E-3008, the Lancia Gamma SUV is expected to share the same standard-range 73kWh battery and the 98kWh battery as its French cousin. However, Lancia will confirm its full technical details ahead of its full reveal this summer.

Inside, the Gamma looks to embrace some visual inspiration from the original. The form and smooth finish of the inner doors appear to be derived from the first-gen Gamma, while the dashboard hint some of its predecessor’s similarly boxy cabin geometrics. Like the Ypsilon, an in-cabin coffee table sits below the centrally-mounted touchsscreen.

The Lancia Gamma SUV will be built at the Stellantis factory in Melfi, and exclusively for the European market. It is highly unlikely that the rebooted Italian brand will make its way to the UK, given Stellantis already sells its Peugeot, Vauxhall, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, and Leapmotor brands here.

EV Powered has contacted Stellantis for an official line regarding whether Lancia is part of Stellantis’s UK plan.

The rebooted Lancia Gamma isn’t the first piece of automotive controversy to come out of Italy this week. Ferrari launched its debut EV, the Luce, to much online shock and keyboard bashing, while Alfa Romeo confirmed an electric-only, C-segment hatchback – likely to adopt the Giulietta moniker – and SUV as part of its next-gen range of cars.